


Acceptance

by WangEun



Series: Can You Hear The World Crashing? [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Deaf Sokka, Gen, No pining but they do love each other, Protective Zuko (Avatar), They're best friends, Zuko is okay with people hating him, but he is not okay with people hating his friend, zukka if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:09:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25643320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WangEun/pseuds/WangEun
Summary: He can deal with people doubting him, questioning him, talking badly of him, and even attempting to assassinate him.The one thing he cannot deal with, however, is people treating Ambassador Sokka the same.
Series: Can You Hear The World Crashing? [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858984
Comments: 4
Kudos: 76





	Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second attempt at a Sokka is deaf AU. While the first story may help you appreciate their relationship in the second a little more, the stories can still be read out of order. Please just note that this story takes place after the war, whereas the first story took place during the war.

Nobody likes Ambassador Sokka.

This issue comes to light one day following a council meeting. Zuko leaves the meeting room in a mood, the one he’s always in after dealing with a certain advisor. As it turns out, not many people like Fire Lord Zuko either, which he understands given the circumstances of his rise to the throne. Still, it had taken all of Zuko’s self restraint to not order the advisor to be flung into a dungeon just for being so irritating. That definitely would not have gone over well with the council, and it would’ve been used as an example of his childish incompetence. While most people that the young Fire Lord comes in contact with everyday show him at least a basic amount of due respect, there are those who are not hesitant to speak out against him and try to make him feel small.

This is something that Zuko is used to, and while it does frustrate him to no end, there’s something bigger weighing down on his mind today. Truthfully, Zuko does want to be accepted, but he already knew what to expect before his official coronation. He can deal with people doubting him, questioning him, talking badly of him, and even attempting to assassinate him. 

The one thing he cannot deal with, however, is people treating Ambassador Sokka the same.

The thought of his good friend makes Zuko sigh. Sokka had been absent from the day’s meeting due to feeling under the weather. As it turns out, the warrior was not as well adapted to the Fire Nation’s climate as he initially thought and the unrelenting summer had taken a toll on him. After collapsing the previous afternoon due to dehydration, the ambassador had been ordered to rest by the royal healer. While he himself had agreed at first that it was a good idea, Sokka, true to his energetic nature, soon got bored of being on bed rest and had tried to sneak out of his room on multiple occasions, only to be scolded and kindly ordered back to bed.

Zuko is glad that Sokka wasn’t present at the meeting today. Advisor Kang had really not held back his thoughts about how inept the Water Tribe Ambassador and Fire Lord are. While the man had never held his tongue even in the presence of Sokka, it seemed that he’d taken the young ambassador’s absence as an excuse to ridicule him. Zuko had lost his temper at one point like he always does when Advisor Kang says unnecessarily cruel things and the meeting ended the way they often do, with both men so angry they were practically ready to set fire to the palace.

Normally, that’s when Sokka would take Zuko by the shoulders and steer him away from prying eyes to find a moment of peace and calm down, telling him things like _Don’t worry_ and _They'll come around_ and _Hey, how about we go feed some turtleducks?_

Today, Sokka’s bubbly personality is sorely missed. That’s why Zuko heads straight to the warrior’s private chambers the moment he’s no longer seething. He wants to check up on his friend to see how he’s fairing, and he doesn’t want Sokka to know just how mad he was about today’s particularly irritating meeting.

“Hey,” Zuko says as he enters the room, smiling softly. 

Sokka is, for some reason or other, lying down on the floor, legs up and folded over his bed. He’s been staring up at the ceiling for probably the last fifteen minutes or so, feeling bored out of his mind and expecting to lose his sanity soon. The moment he spots the Fire Lord entering, a wide grin spreads across his face, and he has to pull his legs down off of the bed and roll over just to stop seeing his friend upside down.

 _Hi!_ He signs, relieved to finally have some proper company. _How was the meeting?_

 _It was fine_ , Zuko signs back, expertly now in comparison to how he used to communicate back when he was still a beginner at sign language. It’s taken quite a long time for him to feel comfortable conversing with the younger like this, but since Sokka has been living with him at the palace for some time now, he’s been able to get plenty of practice in. _How are you feeling?_

 _Bored,_ Sokka answers, rising to his feet and sitting himself down on his bed. 

The Fire Lord has to hold back a laugh as he moves to sit down on the bed beside the other boy. He can only wonder what Sokka’s been up to all of this time. “You needed rest,” he says, both with his voice and with his fingers. “We can’t have you passing out in the middle of a meeting.”

_I know. Tell me all about it?_

Zuko shrugs. _It was fine. Same as always. Not much to tell._

Sokka gives him a knowing look. _Advisor Kang giving you trouble again?_

 _Of course. It wouldn’t be a council meeting without his complaining._ Zuko laughs here, but not because he finds it funny. Rather, he feels so tired of this situation and too helpless to change it that he doesn’t know what else to do but laugh about it. While it’s expected that not everyone will be happy with whoever is in charge of the nation, he knows he’s being scrutinized extra hard because of his personal history with the nation’s politics. A formerly banished prince certainly does not have a good reputation with everyone, regardless of his efforts to help the Avatar end the war. He is a child, even a traitor still to some who believe that his father should be on the throne instead of him. 

_He’s stupid,_ Sokka says. _You’re a great Fire Lord. Anyone with eyes should be able to see that. Even Toph can see that and her eyes don’t even work at all! So, that means he’s really stupid._

Zuko laughs again. _He hates me._

 _He does hate you_ , Sokka agrees. _A little bit. But he hates me more._

_Maybe a little bit. He just doesn’t like outsiders._

_Yeah. Or deaf people._

Sokka says this so matter of factly that it makes Zuko frown. It’s no surprise that the Water Tribe boy is used to being judged for his disability, something that people have surely been judging him for his entire life. Even Zuko had judged him for it at some point. The thought makes the Fire Lord feel guilty. At one time, he’d questioned Sokka’s competence, both because of his inability to hear and his inability to bend. While Toph at least had the ability to see through her earthbending, Sokka had no way to enhance his hearing solely through weaponry. Zuko now knows better than to underestimate Sokka’s capabilities and intelligence just because of his deafness, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still feel bad for all of the times he once did.

Wanting to avoid the warrior being looked down upon for something so trivial ever again, Zuko has made a conscious effort to not only educate those in the palace about sign language and deaf culture, but also to stop anyone from speaking poorly about the ambassador for something that is out of his control and doesn’t inhibit his ability to share his promising ideas. Sokka may be deaf, but he’s one of the most brilliant people that Zuko has ever met. It’s something he refuses to let anyone else forget.

 _He doesn’t understand,_ he says. _We’ve never had a deaf ambassador before._

_I know. That’s why he thinks I’m stupid._

Zuko wants to disagree, but he knows he can’t. _You’re not stupid._

 _I know,_ Sokka says. _But he thinks I’m stupid. He’s not the only one either. A lot of people think that I don’t know anything. So, they think I’m a bad ambassador._

_That’s why you have to get better, so you can go to the meetings again and show them how stupid they are for ever doubting you._

Sokka is still smiling, but there’s a certain tiredness in his expression that is easily recognizable by the older boy. _Yeah, I’m trying. They don’t really like to listen to me though. They don’t pay attention to me. I don’t think Advisor Kang really cares about my opinions. To him, I’m just a savage and I don’t know anything._

Again, Zuko wants to disagree, but he knows he can’t. What the other is saying isn’t incorrect, even though it is unfair. _You’re not a savage. Most people don’t think that about you. Most people know better by now. Advisor Kang is just a jerk. People like him only think you don’t have anything important to say because they can’t hear you say it._

_We have an interpreter. They know what I’m thinking. They just don’t care._

_Not everyone. Not everyone feels that way about you._

_But a lot of them do. You can’t deny that._

Zuko shakes his head. _I’m not denying that. But it’s not everyone. There are so many people that really like you and your ideas. People tell me they think you’re funny and nice all the time. More people will see it soon. Maybe even Advisor Kang someday._

 _I think Advisor Kang would rather die than admit to liking either of us,_ Sokka says with a laugh.

 _Yeah_ , Zuko agrees, rolling his eyes. _I think you’re right. We’re everything he hates._

_Funny… handsome… young. Physically fit. I think he might be jealous._

_I think you might be right._

And that’s when they fall into silence, the one that they’re used to experiencing when they’re together. In the past, when Zuko was still getting to know Sokka and was still adjusting to being part of a new team (a new _family_ , really), the silences had made him uncomfortable. They felt awkward in the way that silence usually does between people who don’t know what to say to each other. At the time, Zuko had no idea how to keep a conversation going with the warrior. It was bad enough that he was already somewhat socially inept. Having Sokka be deaf only made things that much harder. Despite how much the younger tried, Zuko just never knew what to say back to him.

At some point, though, Zuko had grown to appreciate the silences they shared. It took a while for him to realize that communication could still happen even in the quietest of moments, when a glance alone was enough to say a million words without having to say anything at all. When they were in sync with their steps and with their breathing, when their shoulders accidentally brushed against each other, those were the moments when Zuko really felt connected to Sokka. They didn’t need to say anything. They just needed to be there and that was enough.

Now, Zuko watches Sokka with a soft curiosity. The warrior looks back at him with a smile that’s unwavering, even though there is still a tiredness behind it. Zuko can see it in his eyes. He recognizes it easily, knowing the other boy for this long. They’re the same in that regard, in the way that they both try to swallow their feelings in favor of putting on a brave face, lest anyone think any less of them.

Zuko isn’t the only one who has been struggling to prove himself. He knows it’s not easy.

 _Come on_ , he says suddenly, motioning for Sokka to follow. _Let’s get some air._

The young tribesman seems very pleased with this suggestion and rises to his feet without hesitation. He’d felt like a bit of a prisoner all day being confined to his chambers, and while he had consoled himself with the reminder that the war was over and that he could’ve been imprisoned in the Fire Nation under much worse circumstances, he had still been looking forward to the moment when someone came to bust him out of his cell and save him from his misery—even the Fire Lord himself. If this had been months earlier, the thought would’ve made him laugh so hard he’d end up faceplanting into the floor.

Now it’s just the sun that does that.

“My lord,” one of the guards says, eyeing the bandaged warrior. “The Ambassador—”

“—is coming with me to get some air,” Zuko finishes, his tone not leaving any room for disagreement. He’s well aware of what the healer has recommended for Sokka’s recovery, and while he intends to ensure the warrior sticks to the treatment plan and not overexert himself, Zuko thinks a breath of fresh air will do him better than keeping him cooped up inside for the entire day. A few minutes outside won’t hurt, especially not now that the sun isn’t beaming quite as brightly as it had in the middle of the day. “We won’t be long.”

Sokka smiles at the guard, the one who has been foiling his escape attempts all day, and waves goodbye.

* * *

Ambassador Sokka is present in the next council meeting, much to Advisor Kang’s dismay. 

Zuko thinks the only benefit of Sokka being deaf is that he can’t hear what people whisper behind his back, though he knows that the warrior isn’t oblivious to it. He’s noticed the way Sokka watches carefully, the way his eyes flicker across the table anytime someone turns their head away to speak to someone else. While he tries to act unbothered by this, Zuko knows that it must be frustrating to not know what people are saying without someone interpreting for him or putting it in writing. It’s something that Sokka is used to, no doubt, but during important moments like these, between important people like these, it really doesn’t seem fair to leave anyone out of a conversation, even if the conversation is about him.

Maybe there’s no benefit at all, Zuko concludes. How can ignorance be bliss when one is far from ignorant?

If anything, it only seems worse that Sokka can’t hear what people whisper behind his back. With no way of standing up for himself, Sokka simply chooses to sit quietly, waiting for someone to give him the opportunity to contribute something. Anything. It’s the moment he’s always waiting for, the moment where he eagerly shares his opinion on political matters and his strategies to further mend the wounds between the four nations. 

Sokka always has good ideas, too. Most people seem to agree when they actually give him the chance to explain. Zuko tries to make sure they always do. He tries to make sure that Sokka is heard even when he’s being silent. But in the moments that are fleeting, in the short bursts of conversation between talking council members, Sokka simply sits and waits for his chance to be included. By now, he knows better than to ask the interpreter (and Zuko) to relay every little piece of information to him. Not only is a lot of the conversation unimportant and unnecessary to know, but Sokka also knows that the interpreter won’t meet his gaze when there are things that are not meant to be repeated. For his sake, there are things they choose not to share with him.

Zuko feels guilty about protecting Sokka from the harsh comments at times. He knows Sokka can handle them, and he knows Sokka doesn’t need to be overprotected, but like all people around the young warrior who have grown to appreciate his existence, Zuko finds himself feeling compelled to protect him anyway. It’s what a good friend does, he reminds himself, even when he has to abruptly look away to avoid catching Sokka’s questioning gaze. The last thing the Water tribesman needs to know is what slurs have been thrown in his direction this time.

Sometimes Sokka asks, and when he does, Zuko tells him. 

He hasn’t asked lately though. Zuko thinks that his guilty expression might have something to do with it. 

“That’s enough, Advisor Kang.” There is no room for argument in his tone. Zuko always sounds the most confident when he’s speaking of his friends. It’s in these moments where he looks and sounds less like a teenage boy and more like a powerful official. As the head of state, he wishes he could demand this level of respect and attention more often. “You have been reminded time and time again to show your respect to the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador, yet you continuously fail to do so. I won’t stand for it any longer.” 

“I don’t understand where this is coming from, Fire Lord Zuko," says the advisor. "I haven’t uttered a word about The Ambassador since he stepped foot in this room.”

Zuko’s look is heavy. “And you disrespect me by attempting to lie. Unlike him, I can actually hear you.”

Advisor Kang’s expression can only be described as sour. “With all due respect, my lord, I believe you are mistaken.”

“No. It is you who is mistaken, Advisor, if you really believe that I will continue allowing you to speak of an ambassador in this way. Sokka—” Zuko corrects himself. “ _Ambassador_ Sokka has done more to help end this Hundred Year War than you have. He has contributed an incredible amount of ideas to not only help the Fire Nation head in the right direction, but also the rest of the world. Not only is he a valued colleague of both The Fire Lord _and_ The Avatar, he is also a good friend of mine. Without his help, we would not be here discussing peace today. You will show him the respect he deserves.”

When the advisor opens his mouth to speak, Zuko holds up a hand to stop him.

“You _will_ show him the respect he deserves,” he repeats. “Or you will leave.”

Suddenly, it feels like the world has been flipped upside down. For once, it’s the rest of the council members who are quiet and watching, waiting anxiously for their time to speak. Sokka, however, doesn’t need anyone to relay any information to him. In this moment, he knows exactly what has been said, even if he doesn't know the exact words it was said in.

When Zuko catches Sokka’s gaze this time, there’s no questioning behind it. When he receives the smile, he is relieved to see that it comes with no additional baggage. It is a smile in its purest form and it afflicts him immediately like a contagious disease. 

“Now, if you don’t mind,” he says. “I believe Ambassador Sokka had something to share about the pending trade deal.”

* * *

Later, when Zuko is tossing bread into the pond to feed the turtleducks, Sokka taps him on the leg. 

The young Fire Lord glances down at his friend that is sitting cross-legged on the ground beside him and gives him a questioning look. They’ve been quiet for a while now, in the way they always are when they’re just enjoying each other’s company. 

_I don’t care if nobody else likes me,_ Sokka says.

 _You don’t?_

_No,_ the warrior replies, flashing him a smile. _Because you like me._ _And_ _right now, that’s good enough for me._

**Author's Note:**

> I am so glad that the fandom has been revived because my inspiration for writing has been revived as well. I have been wanting to write the Sokka is deaf AU for nearly a decade now. The original story I wrote which this series was inspired by was published 8 years ago. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that it's about time. I really hope that I'll be able to explore this alternate universe a little more in the future. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. I would love to know what you guys think about it!


End file.
